Automatic lock opener



Feb. 6, 1940.

F. P. KAMP 2,189,346

AUTOMATIC LOCK OPENER Filed March 15, 1939 2 SheetSI-Sheet l ANMIYER 2 22 DISTRBUTOR? sTRTvNG M GTO2 0a by ZZorn exc/r Feb. 6, 1940. F. P. KAMP Y 2,189,346

AUTOMATIC LOCK OPENER Filed Maron 15. 1939 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Au'rom'nc Loox orma Franklin P. Kamp. Euertcville, N. Y.

`imputation Moron 1s, 1939, soi-1.1 No. :snm

' 1 comov (c1. 1o-cvs) This invention relates more particularly to an automatic lock unsetting or releasing device which is more particularly designed for use in connection with automobiles which are provided with locks which can be set so that the clomng of the door will automatically lock the door without requiring the use of a key for this purpose.

Various forms of automatically operating locking devices may be used in connection with this invention, for example, that which is shown in the United States Patent No. 2,039,373, dated May 5;, 1936, and to "which reference may be had for a detail explanation.

As is well mown to'those who have had eir-` perience with this type of automatically locking loci: it sometimes happens that the driver will leave the ignition key sticking in the ignition switch while the latter is either turned on or oil' and then closes the door of the car after setting the automatically locking lock. with the result that the driver loses access to the key of the ignition system and is therefore inconvenienced unless he has a spare key available outside of thje car. This often necessitates breaking a window pane of the car in order to gain access to the inside of the compartment for retrieving the ignition hey or unsetting the lock of the door.

It is. the object ol this invention to provide means whereby the lock of the door oi the passenger compartment may be automatically unset in the event that the same has been preset to lock the door automatically upon closing the same when the driver has left the ignition key inserted in the ignition switch, thereby avoiding the necessity of breaking any window or damaging otherl parts of a car for the purpose of getting at the key or the ignition system.

With this end in view this invention consists generally of a.V thermostatic unsetting device which is associated with the controlling mechani'sin of :the lock and placed ln circuit with an electric source whenever the vignition key is left in the ignition switch and the compartment door 7 is automatically locked when moved into a closed position and whereby this thermostatic unsetting device will become heated in response to the electric current supplied thereto and operate automatically to unset the lock and permit the door to be opened without the use of a key.

In the accompanying drawingsl Fig. l is a diagrammatic elevation of an automobile showing this invention in connection with its door loci: having means lor setting and unsotnng the automatic control device thereof, and the electrical accessories of the car.

. Fig. 2l is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a side wall and door of a car showing this invention in connection with' the controlling device for a door lock of the type shown in the above Vmentioned Patent No. 2,039,873 in an unset position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in the position which they occupy when the controlling device of the lock has been set so'that thedoor upon being closed will be locked in its closed position and incapable of being again opened excepting by the use oi.' a proper key applied to the exterior of the lock.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the thermostatic shifting means which are responsive to the heating edect of an electrical circuit and whereby the controlling mechanism of the lock ls automatically unset without manual aid.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-l, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing a preferred arrangement of the electrical circuits ot the car in connection with this invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, showing one form of switch means whereby the electric circuit of the automatic lock unsetting mechanism is closed upon inserting the ignition key into the ignition switch and opened when this key is removed from said switch. 1

In the following description similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several `figures of the drawings:

. This invention is more particularly adapted for use in automobiles which are driven by gas engines in which the fuel is ignited by electrical means, and have a passenger or drlvers compartment, a wall of which is provided with a doorway and a door for said doorway, and a lock for the door which may be preset from the inside of the compartment by means of keyless man ually operable means so that the door when closed will be automatically locked in its closed condition and require the use of a'separate manually operable key for again unlocking the lock for permitting the door to be opened.

The automobile which is shown diagrammatically in lllg. 1 comprises a chassis or frame II of any suitable construction. a body mounted on the frame and provided with a hood Il ,which covers the engine and associated parts for propelling the car, a closed compartment I! arranged in rear o! the hood and adapted to be occupied by the driver of the car and any passengers accompanying him, a doorway or opening I3 in the side wall of the body through which the driver enters and leaves the compartment I2,

Under the hood is arranged the propelling en-` gine I6 for moving the car, which engine is adapted to be started by means of a starting motor I1 in any well known manner. In rear of the engine a storage battery I8 or other electric source is locatedfor supplying the necessary current whereby the starting motor 'I1 is'cperated. and other electrical accessories of the car are supplied with electric current such as the sparks for igniting'the chargesy of fuel in the working cylinders of the gas engine. also operating the horn I9 or other signaling device with which the car is provided and also lighting the various electric lamps ,with which the car is' equipped. As shown in the wiring diagram, Fig. 6 o1' the drawings, the opening and closing of the circuit which includes the storage battery I3 and the starting motor I1 of the gas engine is controlled by a starting switch which mayy be of any suitable and well known construction and operated either by foot or han'd power in the usual manner. i f

The circuit of theignition system for the engine includes the usual distributor 2l whereby the current is directed successively to the several spark plugs of the `engine and this circuit also contains the usual induction coil 22, Acircuit breaker 23and`ammeter 24. The electrical system also includes the usual electric generator 25 which is operated by power derived from` the gasv engine I6, the lighting circuitcontains the usual lighting switch 26, `and the electric circuit of the signal horn I9 contains the usual hand operated switch 21 adapted to control the circuit for ,operating this horn.

The circuit which controls the passage of the electric current `for operating theignition system of the engine contains a switch which is diagrammatically represented at 29 in Fig.` 6 and may be operated by means of a removable key 32, as shown in Fig. 7. As there shown, the numeral 30 represents the rotatable barrel oi' the key operated ignition switch 29`which is journaledin a casing 3I mounted on the panel; instrument or dash board I5 oi' the car and which upon being turned in one direction or the other causes the contacts of the ignition switch 29 to be engaged and disengaged for opening and'closing the circuit which includes the spark plugs and the rest of the ignition system of the engine in the usual and well known manner.

`'.'l'he ignition switch barrel 30in the .present case is adapted to be oscillated for opening and closing the electric circuit of the ignition system by means of thekey 32 which is adapted to be inserted lengthwise into the central part of the rotary barrel 30 preparatory to starting the propelling motor therefrom when it is desired to stop this. motor.

Any suitable form of door lock may be employed which will automatically lock the door in its closed position upon merely closing the door but which requires the use of a key from the outside of the car in order to again unlock the lock and permit of opening the door, the

I6 of the car and to be removedr 2,1saa4e I mechanism oi' said lock having means whereby States Patent No. 2,039,873, the essential parts of which are constructed and operated as follows:

Referring to Figs. 11! 2, 3 and 6, the numeral 33 represents a lock casing or frame mounted on the door I4 of the cary compartment and supporting the main parts of the door lock in such manner that they are concealed from viewboth `from the inner side and the outer side of the car. The numeral 34 represents a horizontally and longitudinally Slidable locking bolt which is guid- /ed on the `casing 33 by means which include a guide pin 35 arranged on the casing 33 and passing through a longitudinal slot 36 in this bolt. The front end oi' this locking bolt is adapted to project from the [face or locking edge of the door into a keeper 31 Aon the adjacent wall 38 of the car body. for the purpose of retaining the door in its closed position, but this bolt is capable yof retraction so that its front end is withdrawn from they keeper 31 and is ush with the locking face f of the door so that the latter can be moved laterally into and out of a position in which it extends across the doorway I3 in the respective wall of the car. The retraction of this bolt into its inoperative position is effected by means which 39 journaled in the lock casing 33 and provided on the exterior of the doorwith amanually operable handle 40 whereby the shaft may be turned in the direction for retractingthe locking bolt 36. Motion is transmitted from this shaft 39 to the locking bolt by means of a shifting lever pivoted on the casing 33 bya pin 4I and having a lower arm 42 and an upper yarm 43, a roll back ar'my 44 mountedv on the shaft" 39 and engaging with a curved lug 45 on the lower arm 42 of the shiftingk lever, a coupling levery pivoted ion the lower arm 42 of the shifting lever and having a front arm `46`engaging with the curved lug 45 and a rear arm 41, and a coupling lug 48 mounted on the'rear arm 41 and movable into and out `of the path of a `forwardly facing shoulder 49 on the lower edge ofthe locking bolt 34. A springr 50 mounted on the locking bolt and bearing against a end of the locking bolt engages with the keeper 31, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon turning thefshaft 39 in an anti-clockwise direction, when viewed from the side shown in Fig. 2, the roll back 44 yengages with the'lug 45 of the shifting'lever and moves the lowerarm 42 thereof together with the coupling lever mounted thereon in a backward t direction,` whereby the lug 48 of the coupling lever will engage the shoulder 49 of the locking bolt and move the latter backwardly so that its front end is retracted from the keeper'` 31.` During such movement, the spring 5D will be increasingly strained so that whenthe unlocking or opening presure on the handle 40 is released this spring 50 will kreact and `cause the locking bolt the coupling lever mounted thereon and the operating shaft 88 to be turned in a clockwise direction. Upon turning the operating shaft 39 in an anti-clockwise direction when the inner arm 41 of the coupling lever is in a depressed position and its coupling lug 48 is below the shoulder 48 of the locking bolt, as shown in Fig. 3, then the anticlockwise rotation of the roll back or arm 44 will move the lower shifting arm 42 and the coupling lever pivoted thereto inwardly with an idle stroke without carrying along the locking bolt in the same direction so that the latter will remain in its locked position. During this time an increased tension will be produced on the spring 58 due to the outward movement of the i upper arm 48 of the shifting lever without, however, influencing the position of the locking bolt.

Controlling mechanism is provided in connection with this lock for moving the coupling lever into a position in which the same sets the lock so that the locking bolt may be retracted by turning the handle 40 on the outside of the car or this operating mechanism may be unset so that a turning movement of this handle from the outside of the car will be idle and not eiect a retracting movement of the locking bolt but instead leave the same at rest in its locked position. 'Ihis controlling mechanism includes key operated means which are operable only from the outside of the car body or compartment and also non-key operated means which are only operable from the inside of this compartment, whereby the lock may be set from the inside of the compartment so that a mere closing of the door will automatically lock the same and necessitate unsettng the same by the use of a key applied to the key controlled operating mechanism from the outside of the compartment before the door can be again opened. `The mechanism disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,039,873 and shown in the accompanying drawings is an example of mechanism suitable for the purposes of this invention. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6 this controlling mechanism is constructed essentially as follows:

The numeral 52 represents the rear arm of a controlling lever which is pivoted by means of a pin 53 on the lock casing or frame so as to swing in a plane which is vertical and parallel with the direction of movement of the locking bolt and is guided at its rear end on the lock casing by means of a pin 54 secured to this casing and passing through a vertical slot 55 in the rear end of this arm. vThe front arm of this controlling lever is constructed in the form of a fork, the upper and lower branches 56 and 51 of which are arranged, respectively, above and below the operating shaft 89 of the lock. On the central part of its underside the rear arm 4'! of the coupling lever is provided with a laterally projecting guide lug 58 which engages shoulder 49 ofthe locking bolt. Upon turning the roll back 44 anti-clockwise at this time, while the rear arm 41 of the coupling lever is elevated,

the coupling lug 48 will engage with the shoulder 48 of the locking bolt vdue to the guide lug Il of the coupling lever sliding horizontally rearwardly in the guide slot 88 o! the controlling lever. Upon. however, lowering the rear arm It of the controlling lever so that its guide slot is in a rearwardly inclined position, as shown in Fig. 3, the rear arm 41 of the coupling lever will be lowered so as to bring its coupling lug 48 below the shoulder 48 of the locking bolt, whereby a rotary movement of the roll back 44 in an anti-clockwise direction will cause the coupling lever to move backwardly and downwardly at an angle relative to the locking bolt so that the coupling lug 48 will miss the shoulder 48 oi the locking bolt and thereby fail to move the latter backwardly but instead leave the same at rest in its forwardly projected locked position.

The key operated means whereby this controlling lever may be shifted so as to couple the locking bolt with the shifting means or uncouple the same therefore may be variously organized but as generally indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the same comprises a pawl 58 mounted on the operating shaft 38 so as to move transversely thereon and capable of projecting either at its upper or its lower end beyond the periphery of the operating shaft 39, and a key mechanism mounted within this operating shaft and adapted to be operated by means of a removable key 8| which is insertable into the tumbler or pin barrel 3| of the lock from the exterior of the car body or compartment and actuating the pawl so that the same projects either upwardly or downwardly from a central or neutral position relative to the axis of the operating shaft I8.

In the unset condition of the lock, as shown in Fig. 2. the pawl 60 has been shifted by the key operated mechanism from the exterior of the car body so that this pawl is in its central or neutral position and the inner arm 52 of the controlling lever is elevated so that an anticlockwise or backward movement of the roll back 44 will cause the locking bolt 34 to be shifted into its open or unlocked position. If it is de sired to set the bolt 34 in its closed or locked position by means of the key 6I from the outside of the car body or compartment, this key isinserted in the tumbler mechanism of the lock and turned in the proper direction so that the pawl 68 will be raised into engagement with the `upper branch 56 of the control lever, whereby therefore remain in its locked position. Upon' moving the tumbler mechanism of the lock in the opposite direction by means of the key 6I from the outer side of the car body, the pawl 50 will be projected at its lower end from the operating shaft and engage with the lower front branch 5T of the controlling lever and thereby again elevate the rear arm 52 so as to lift the coupling lug 48 into an operative position relative to the shoulder 49 of the locking bolt,

The non-key operated means whereby the lock may be either set or unset from the inside of the car body or compartment independently of the key mechanism which is adapted to be set and unset from the outside of the same by means of a key preferably comprises an angular shifting rod 62 having its lower part arranged within the lock casing or frame and its lower end pivthe controlling lever while the upper part of this o'tally connected at 63 with the rear arm l2 of shifting rod extends throughanuprightguideway 84 in the adjacent part of the door frame and terminates in an upwardly projecting button or iingerpiece 65 which is only accessible from the interior of the car body when the windows of the car are closed. Upon grasping this button 55 by the ngers the rear arm 52 of the controlling lever may be raised or lowered through the medium of the shifting rod- 62. If now the shifting rod 62 is yraised through the medium of the linger-piece 85, the rear arm 52 of the control lever will be raised, as shown in Fig. 2, and thereby set the parts oi' the lock so that an anti-clockwise movement of the roll back 5l will causethe locking bolt 34 to beretracted into its unlocked position,` while upon depressing the shifting rod 62 by means of this button, this rear arm of the controlling lever will be depressed, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby, uncoupling the locking boit from the shifting mechanism which is actuated by the external handle and preventing the operation of this handle from moving the locking bolt backwardly and unlatching or unlocking the same.

When the locking mechanism is thus unset from the inside of the car body by the depression of the shifting rod 62 and the controlling arm 52 so that the turning of `the hand lever 40 from the exterior of the car body will not retract the locking bolt, then the mere closing or shutting of the door into a position across the doorway will cause the locking `boit 34 to automatically snap into its locked position and remain there so that the door cannot be again opened until the rear arm 52 of the controlling lever has been raised from the exterior of the car by proper mainipulation of the key operated mechanism from the exterior ofthe caror by raising of the manually. operative non-key mechanism on the inside of the car body. y f

The particular means which are shown in the drawings embodying this invention whereby the lock of the door is automatically unset or unlocked so that the door can be opened fromthe outside without the use of a key in case the driver leaves the ignition key 32 sticking in the switch of the ignition system are constructed as follows:

The numeral 66 represents the body ofy a plunger which reciprocates vertically and is guided in an upright tubular guide or holder 61,

`said plunger and holder being preferably of circular or cylindrical form.` The plunger is preferably constructed of light material such as glass or Bakelite and the cylindrical guidek 61 is constructed of metal. The holder 61 is secured to any available part which is stationary relative to the easingr of the ylock 33, such as a cleat 65 mounted on the inner side of the door i4 below the lock casing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3;

Extending centrally through the plunger 55 is a pin er bolt 69 which is provided at its upper end with a head 10 while its lower end is connected by means of a screw joint 1| with ay disk 12 bearing against the lower end `,of the plunger 56. This pin, head and disk are constructed of metal and the latter is provided on itsopposite sides with resilient tongues 13 which are adapted to slide in contact with the inner side of the guide tube 61 and maintain a good electrical engage-f ment therewith. The upper head 10 of the pin 69 bears against the lower end of an upright push bar 14 which is secured to the inner arm'52 of areas the lcontrolling lever and projects downwardly therefrom. i

At its lower end thepin se 1 5 provided with s contracted neck 15 which forms an upwardly facing shoulder 16 thereon and on its underside this pin is provided with a downwardly tapering conical face or cone 11. When free, the plunger 66 together with the parts mounted thereon is raised by means of a spring 18 which is arranged in the 'tubular guide61 and bears at its upper end against the underside of the lower disk 12 on the plunger while the lower end of this spring `bears against a disk 19 resting on the rbottomil of the tubular guide, as best shown in Fig. 4.

The plunger is heldin its depressed position by means of a catch comprising two hook-shaped detent jaws 8l which are adapted to engage over opposite sides of the upwardly facing shoulder 15 of the plunger pin while the lower ends of these jaws are connected with each other and are ato tached to the bottom of the tubular guide 61 by means of a clamping bolt 82 but electrically insulated therefrom by means of the insulation 83. The two detent jaws 8| are constructed oftwo strips of metal havingk different coeiilcients of expansion in response to changes of temperature and are integrally connected with each other so asto form substantially4 the letter C. These n jaws are adapted to form part of an electriccircuit which upon being closed will cause the jaws to be heated due to the electrical resistance which ris encountered as the current ows through these jaws. When the electric current through these detent jaws is broken then these jaws become cool and automatically contact so that the upper hook-shaped ends thereof will be contracted or moved toward each other a sumcient extent that they are arranged in the path of the lower part of the rplunger pin 69. When, however, the jaws same in anelectric circuit containing the storage Abattery I8. In this circuit one wire 84 connects the metallic guide 61 'with a grounded part of the automobile, and another wire 85 connects the clamping bolt 82 with means whereby the circuit may be closed and opened at the ignition switch by theuse oi the same key 32 which opens and closes the ignition switch 29. In order to utilize the ignitionkey 32 for the purpose of opening and closing the electric circuitwhich includes the storage battery and'thejaws 8l of the thermo-l static detent or catch various switch means may be employed, but as shown in Fig. '7, the same consist of two spring contacts 86 and 81 which are mounted on the inner side of the rotary tumbler barrel 30 of the ignition `switch but in-k sulated therefrom. and` connected respectively `with the wire 85 rleading to the thermostatic catch jaw 8| and wire 88 leading to the storage battery i8.

f the lock of the door could not be opened from the outside of the compartment without the use yoi a door key 6| and this would'necessitate de-k aisance is now unnecessary inasmuch as the ignition key, while still inserted in the ignition switch,

closes the electric circuit across the two contacts B5 and 81 and controlling arm l2 which has been lowered by means of the shifting rod 62 causes the push bar 14 to push the plunger 66 downwardly a sufficient extent to engage the conical lower side lof the pin 69' so that it rst spreads the resilient detent jaws 8l and then permits the latter to contract into engagement with the upwardly facing shoulder I8 of this pin and thereby not only hold this plunger in its lowered position, but also completing the electric circuit of the i battery at this point, as shown in Fig. 4.

when this occurs the current from the battery will flow through the bimetallic Jaws of the thermostatic catch or detent and cause the same to be heated, whereby these jaws will expand and disengage themselves from the shoulder 16 of the plunger pin. The instant this occurs the plunger it will be released and permit the resilience oi the spring 'I8 to push the plunger upwardly, whereby the electric circuit of the battery will be broken between the thermostatlc Jaws and the plunger pin and at the same' time the plunger will be pushed upwardly against the bar li by the spring it so that the controlling arm tt is raised from its lowered position, shown in 3, to its elevated position, shown in Fig. 2,

thereby automatically restoring the parts of the lock into the position which they must occupy in order to permit thebolt of the lock t0 be retracteol from its keeper by the manual operation of the handle it without using a door lock key for this purpose.

After the plunger has been elevated andP its pin tu has been disengaged from the thermostatic detent jaws di and the circuit between these jaws and the plungerpin has been broken, these thermostatic jaws again become cool and contract toward each other so that they are in a position to be again engaged with the shoulder 'It of the plunger for holding the latter in its depressed position for again automatically opening the door in the Vevent that manual Vsetting of the door lock has been enected from the inside of the automobile compartment and the door is locked shut automatically when the driver leaves the itionkey sticking in the ignition switch.

It will now be apparent that this organization will positively prevent the lock of the door from remaining in a locked condition for any considerable time if the door is automatically locked from the outside while the ignition key still remains in the ignition lock and thereby avoids the annoyance and inconvenience as well as the necessity for destroying some part of the car in order to gain access to the ignition key within the compartment as has frequently been the case heretofore when using locks of the type mentioned.

In addition to automatically opening the door lock in the manner described, signal control means are provided for giving a signal which informs the driver immediately after automatically locking the door, which signal is preferably organized to give an audible alarm and thereby inform the driver of his predicament. Although this signal control device may be variously organized, the same preferably comprises two electric contacts 89 and 90 which are mounted on the rotary tumbler barrel l0 of the ignition switch and are included in a circuit which contains the storage battery I8 and the electrically operated horn I8 so that by inserting the ignitlonswitch SZ-into the barrel 30 of the ignition switch, these contacts 89 and 90 will be electrically connected. In addition to this a switch is provided' which closes this signalor alarm circuit upon depressing the controlling arm 52 and opens this circuit upon raising this arm while setting and unsetting the automatic doorlocking mechanism.

In the preferred construction this last. mentioned switch comprises an upper contact Il which is mounted on the rear controlling arm l2 but insulated therefrom and a lower contact l2 mounted on the lock casing 33 but insulated therefrom. When the controlling arm 52 is raised the contacts 9| and 92 are disengaged, as shown -in Figs. 2 and 6, so that the alarm circuit at this place will be broken and no sounding of the horn I9 will be given, notwithstanding that the ignition key 32 has been inserted in the ignition lck and electrically connects the contacts 89 an When, however, the ignition key 32 is left sticking in the ignition switch 29 and electrically connects the switch contacts 89 and` 90 of the alarm circuit and the operator or driver depresses the setting button 85 preparatory to effecting automatic locking of the door when the same is closed, then the lowering of the rear controlling arm 52 will bring the upper contact 9| in engagement with the lower contact 92. whereby the electric circuit which includes the electric horn,

will be'completely closed and immediately sound a signal and warn the driver of his error in leaving the ignition key sticking in the ignition switch so that he can retrieve the key before leaving the car.

Although this automatic lock opener is 'shown in the drawings and described herein as more particularly useful in connection with automoblies, the same is equally applicable in other inonly saves annoyance and inconvenience, but of-' ten saves time and also. possible destruction of property which otherwise would be necessary to restore .normal conditions.

I claim as my invention: A

In an automobile, the combination with a passenger compartment provided with a doorway, a doorfor opening and closing said doorway, a lock for said door having a bolt movable into and out of operative and inoperative pdsitions, key actuated means operable from the outside of said compartment for controlling the position of said bolt, internal manual setting means operable from the inside of said compartment for rendering said bolt operative or inoperative, a prime mover having an electric ignitiony system, a key operated ignition switch arranged within said compartment for controlling said ignition system, and a removable key for operating said ignition switch; of a plunger associated with said intcrnal setting means and adapted to be retracted for permitting said setting means to assume a position which holds said bolt in its `operative position and also to be projected i'or shifting the setting means into o position which allows said bolt to be moved into an inoperative position, detent means for holding said piungerin its retracted position, thermo-electric shifting means operating .when cool to hold said detent means in a working position in which the plunger is retrscted and when hot to disengage said detent means from said plumrer and relesselthe latter upon inserting said key kinto said ignition switch.

`manmm P. KAMP. 

